ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. court — of law
  3. snap — to click
  4. kid — child
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — wild animals
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bound — certain
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com